On the 20th of October 1997, in Japan, Daizen Maeda was born. The forward, predominantly a left winger, currently plies his trade at Celtic, wearing the number 38 jersey. His stature stands at 1.73m (5ft 8in) tall and he weighs 68kg (10st 9lb). He has also had the honour of representing the Japan national team.
According to Transfermarkt, his current market value hovers around £9.5m. His tenure at Celtic is contractually obliged until the 31st of May 2027, with 2 years and 1 month left of his contract.
Maeda's football journey started in January 2016, with Matsumoto Yamaga in the Japanese Lower Leagues, where he made nine first team appearances in his debut season. 2019 was a more prosperous season for him at Matsumoto Yamaga, with 18 first team appearances and two goals to his name in the league matches.
In January 2017, Maeda was loaned to Mito Hollyhock in the J2 League from Matsumoto Yamaga. His time there saw him make 20 first team appearances and score a satisfactory eight goals in the league matches. Following the end of his loan period in January 2018, he returned to Matsumoto Yamaga.
July 2019 saw another loan deal for Maeda, this time to Marítimo in Liga Portugal 2. In the subsequent season, he went on to make 23 first team appearances and recorded three goals in the league matches. Fast forward to August 2020, and Maeda transferred to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League, having left Matsumoto Yamaga for an undisclosed fee. His tenure there was marked by 36 first team appearances in the 2021 season, scoring an impressive 23 goals in the league matches.
In January 2022, Maeda made his way to Celtic on loan, where he donned the green and white for the first time in the Premiership. His inaugural season (2021-2022) saw him make 16 first team appearances and strike six goals in the league matches. Then, in July 2022, the loan deal was made permanent as Maeda moved from Yokohama F. Marinos to Celtic permanently for a fee of roughly £1.4m.
Maeda's time at Celtic has been filled with significant contributions on the pitch. His performances in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons saw him make 35 and 28 first team appearances respectively, scoring a total of 14 goals in league matches. In the current season (2024-2025), Maeda has already made an impact with 33 first team appearances and an astonishing 16 goals in league matches.
Adding to his honours, Maeda played in several notable tournaments. He was part of the Champions League 2023-2024 for Celtic, making four starts. He added six goals in three starts in the League Cup 2024-2025 for Celtic. More goals followed with seven in four starts in the Scottish Cup 2024-2025. He also represented Japan in the World Cup Qualifiers Asia 2024-2026, scoring one goal in seven appearances. Finally, he again featured in the Champions League 2024-2025 for Celtic, contributing four goals in nine starts.
